Chapter 3

9:45 am

POV: General John Ross Richmond

No one excepted the events that have unfolded today. No one could convince me 6 hours ago that I would be sending my boys to their deaths against an enemy that can take multiple armor piercing rounds without much of a problem. But here we are planning a strategic attack against an unknown enemy.

"What about an airstrike?" somebody proposed.

"That would cause countless civilian deaths and what seems to be an army of bird women." Answered someone else in the makeshift war tent.

"What about multiple small caravans of military vehicles armed with heavy weaponry?" asked another.

"From what we have noticed thus far that may work. But according to limited intelligence we don't know what exactly would be waiting for us inside the city limits. From security cameras and the remains of the last couple of maned missions inside the city we have picked up on something large and moving fast." I answered.

"Well, we can't just not do anything! There are people in there. Civilians!" one of the few survivors from the previous attacks brought in for his insight into the beasts. Causing all of us to look in the direction of one of the many bridges that thousands of refugees are attempting to cross as multiple tanks and military officers armed with high yield weaponry such as anti-tank rifles picked off as many monsters as possible.

Just then one of the Intelligence officers rushed into the tent practically shouting with excitement "Sir you got to see this. We might have found someone with information."

Speak Private what have you found?" I answered with a nod blatantly ignoring the many military rules she ignored on her way here. With a nod she pressed play on the tablet she held in her hands.

"Hello survivors. Or anyone else listening, I'm a secretary at Goode High School we are safe and have been able to fend off the monsters for now. Make your way towards our school. We have plenty of water, food and shelter to go around." An elderly lady's voice spoke through the tablet's speakers.

"Mam, do we know how this school has been able to fend off the monsters?" I asked carefully now understanding why she was so excited. How was a school capable of fending off beasts that the U.S. Military is barely capable of doing.

"It's best if we just show you" the private responded tapping at her screen once more before pulling up a video.

"This video was taken about an hour ago. We initially didn't realize what was going on but whatever has been messing with our equipment is the likely culprit." The private began to give context to the grainy picture presented before us. Ever since the monsters have shown up something or someone has been altering video and audio recordings and occasionally solders eyesight by distorting what really is there. Nodding my head so she understood I was following she pressed play. The video showed the drone's camera recording a high school that looks to be boarded up. But the most surprising aspect of the video was not the high school but instead a very fuzzy figure with what looks to have an orange shirt and jeans wielding a bronze sword. Over time the video quality got better as if something was slowly leaving the camera's vision and the horrifying scene of the figure fighting gigantic black mastiff dogs, a cheerleader with flaming hair and mismatched limbs. Over the course of the 15-minute-long video the boy in orange slaughtered the monsters around him by hacking them up with his bronze sword apparently water biased and earthquake biased powers. The most amazing thing about the video was the apparent ease and brutality the teen displayed when fighting those creatures. That scared him and caused his blood to run cold. How many times has this kid done this. How many times did he have to fight these monsters and why haven't we been informed of this sooner? How is this kid capable of putting down monsters, that I've watched take repeated gunshots to their heads and still were able to stand up, like they were made of butter?

"Get this kid on the phone. We need to talk to him and maybe get some answers." I spoke calmly to the Private and with a silent nod she ran out of the tent back to her station.

Twenty minutes later I found myself face to face with a man who can't be more than nineteen, with messy black hair and vibrant sea green eyes. The face the teen had on was one that I had personally seen on myself and others after battles. The face of a leader who lost too many friends in war. His clothes were ripped apart and he was covered in blood, sweat and gold dust from head to toe.

"I assume you're the General that your soldiers told me about?" the boy spoke with an air of command behind it and a finality that told me he wasn't asking.

"Yes, and you are the Percy Jackson your friends have told us much about? Care to explain how you are capable of dealing with your ugly friends?"

"They are not my friends and never will be. Instead, there are my captors and jailers that bind me and my family to a fate we neither have asked for nor deserved. The fate of a hero dying bloodily in defense of a world that doesn't know we exist nor care. I have personally watched friends and family much, much younger than I get ripped apart by their claws and teeth for no other reason by being birthed by beings that don't care a single lick for our existence." The boy no soldier spoke back definitely.

"That still doesn't answer my question. But for the record I'm sorry for your and your real friends' fates even if I don't fully understand." I responded hoping to get Percy to talk. As my words excited my mouth the soldier's face slowly morphed into one that showed just how much stress he was under.

"Its okay you guys didn't nor have the capability of knowing. I have just led to many battles and watched to many friends die and I'm afraid that the Fates have dragged me yet again into one of my uncles many battles." As he said that lightning crashed overhead, Percy glared up at the sky in response. "I should explain because I'm assuming you mortals are freaking out right now." Percy continued.

"Yes, the President has issued a state of national emergency and closed off New York, Los Angelos, and Boston." I answered Percy's rhetorical question.

"What? Los Angelos and Boston are under attack as well?" he asked clearly worried.

"Yes"

"Oh, Gods be damned. I'm Percy Jackson the son of Sally Jackson and Poseidon the Greek god of the seas, horses, and earthquakes along with a couple of other things. I am what's known as a Demigod, and I should probably tell you our story…"

Sometime later my head and probably many of my coworkers were spinning. The Greek gods existed and most likely others from other pantheons existed as well if Percy's hints have anything to go by. We were outside on our makeshift runway waiting for Percy's friends who were coming on flying horses, a boat and a dragon.

"Due East there seems to be a flying warship, metal dragon, flying chariot and twelve Pegasi."

"Let them land they are friendlies."

A couple of moments later the chariot and Pegasi's landed as the warship and dragon hovered in the air making the soldiers around us nerves.

"Leo better not has a replay of New Rome" threatened a blond haired teen with full Greek armor on under her breath.

"You friends with Percy." I asked the blond.

"You could say that. Though with the stunt he pulled I might have to kill him." She responded clearly pissed.

"Please don't he has been instrumental in protecting civilian lives." I answered not entirely sure she was joking.

"Relax I don't think Annabeth would kill her kelp-for-a-brain punk of a fiancé." answered a burly teenage girl with heavy armor and a spear that sparked.

"We should talk strategy. Me and my siblings have agreed that the best course of action would be for the people flying in the Pegasi to deal with the flying monsters which would free up air space for your helicopters to make it into the city. At the same time the Argo 3 and Festus will fly into the city and make a beach head deep within city limits as they have the best armor. When the rest of Camp gets here, they and the mortals will go on foot saving as many civilians as possible and mop up any stragglers on the way." She spoke in a commanding but hurried tone clearly trying to stop herself from running straight first into the city to give her fiancé backup.

"Don't underestimate us. I know you guys have been doing this for a while, but we have some serious fire power on our side." I responded with a smirk.

"With all due respect sir, we know what we are doing and in an air battle you guys would only get in the way. But I do consent that taking a few mortals onto the Argo 3 and Festus wouldn't hurt." Annabeth responded.